Murakami making solid preparations for Four Continents

TAIPEI – Olympian Kanako Murakami practiced on Tuesday and showed no ill effects from ankle pain ahead of the start of the Four Continents Championships.

The skates Murakami began using after December’s Japan National Championships did not fit her well and caused her right ankle to swell. But during Tuesday’s official practice at Taipei Arena, she appeared untroubled as she landed two consecutive triples.

“My skates don’t fit and my foot hurts, so I was uncertain, but you don’t want to it halfway,” she said about her decision to compete here. “I thought the best thing to do was to compete.”

If Murakami does well at the Four Continents, she can improve the order in which she skates at the Sochi Games.

“There aren’t many days to go, and I’ve been doing extreme practices,” she said. “It’s been hard.”